


It’s Better Than Reggie

by GoodOldBaz



Category: Inspector Morse & Related Fandoms, Inspector Morse (TV), Inspector Morse - Colin Dexter
Genre: After season 6, Angst, Bright is sad, Chance Meeting, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, season 6 spoiler, thursday is a knight in shining armor, work friends to real friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-16 02:40:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18512227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodOldBaz/pseuds/GoodOldBaz
Summary: Shortly after the death of Mrs Bright, Reginald finds himself alone at a pub.





	It’s Better Than Reggie

The little man fumbled absently with his wedding ring. His eyes, which until this point he had kept carefully aimed at the floor, now glanced up at the menu on the wall.  
“Gin,” was the only word he spoke. The barman nodded.  
“Right out,” he said.  
Bright waited. He’d been trying to smoke less, but he didn’t think it mattered all that much now. He lit a cigarette. A moment later he took his drink to a back corner of the pub. Even there he looked out of place in his sharp black three piece suit and black armband, quietly sipping his gin while rowdy marry-makers ordered their second and third beers.  
“Reggie!” he heard a voice call. He didn’t want to look up. The name was repeated, so he lifted his eyes to see one of his neighbors standing before him.  
“Oh,” he said carefully, “Hello.”  
“Fancy seeing you here,” said the big man, “Not the public drinking sort of fellow, I’d have thought.”  
He tried to smile. “I generally don’t,” he said. “Save for special occasions.”  
“Can’t be too special if you’re drinking alone,” responded the neighbor.  
Bright took a draft of his cigarette. He wished desperately that the man would go away. But no. By the look of the way he leaned on the chair, it didn’t look promising. After the man took a gulp of his drink, he indicated Bright’s armband with his half empty glass.  
“Hope it’s nothing too serious,” he said. “I didn’t miss anything, did I?”  
Bright slowly shook his head. No, he thought, nothing he would have expected him to notice. Instead he said, “My wife, cancer.” His eyes stared down at his now empty glass. “There was nothing we could do.”  
The other man looked very startled. “Oh,” he said slowly, “I’m sorry.”  
“Thank you,” Bright nodded, without looking up.  
“Excuse me,” came a familiar voice.  
The little man looked up. “Thursday!” he found himself saying in surprise.  
“Mr. Bright,” came the familiar voice again.  
Bright felt awash with relief.  
“I thought you might need another,” Thursday offered, holding out a glass. Bright took it thankfully.  
“Yes, thank you, do sit down,” he said.  
The neighbor looked suspiciously at the newcomer. “Who’s this then, Reggie?” he said.  
“A colleague,” he said. For a moment, the little man blinked at the man who now sat opposite him, now occupying the seat the neighbor had been eyeing up. “A friend,” he added.  
“I see, well,” the big man sniffed. “I’ll be off then. Leave you two to, well…”  
He took a sip of his drink, shrugged, and turned away.  
“Who was that?” Thursday asked, raising his eyebrows.  
“A neighbor,” Bright replied, rolling his eyes. “He imagines us some great friends, I think, though we hardly speak.”  
Thursday nodded. He knew the type. He thought most everyone did.  
“Thank you for rescuing me,” Bright smiled, lifting the glass Thursday had brought him. “I needed this.”  
Thursday grinned. “Anytime, Sir,” he laughed.  
“I don’t suppose you would ever consider calling me Reginald while off duty?” he said, leaning back in his chair.  
Thursday looked uncomfortable. “Well, I, I mean if you really wanted me to I suppose I could see my way to trying, it just…” he flushed. “It doesn’t seem quite right somehow.”  
A grin played around Bright’s lips at his friend’s obvious discomfort.  
“Don’t worry about it,” he said as he put his cigarette between his lips. “It’s better than Reggie.”


End file.
